


The Beginning of the End

by MalloShane



Category: South Park
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-19 23:40:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15521286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalloShane/pseuds/MalloShane
Summary: Growing up causes people to grow apart. Personalities clash, traumatic events happen. But sometimes, you will always be by your best friend's side no matter what. Stan Marsh was going to make sure of this. No matter what would happen to Kyle, he would protect him every step of the way. But that's going to be a bit harder for the boy when the living dead are roaming the streets of South Park. Zombie AU; Older kids.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there guys! It's been quite some time since I've decided to write a story. I dug around through some of my old fanfictions and forgot that I had ever written a Zombie AU. After diving back into it, I decided to rewrite it and try to revamp it. This is going to be scary, gross, and at times just down right cute. The main pairing for the time is going to be Style, but I'm going to sneak in some things here and there. Like always, leave reviews and let me know how I'm doing. This first chapter is rather long, but I wanted to set the story up. Leaving you all wanting more, asking questions, and hanging on by the edge of your seats.   
> -M.

Anger. Frustration. Terror.

The four boys watched the television, mouths opening and closing as if they were fishes out of water. One of the boys, pulled his hood up and over his face, as if to block out the news. A shriek. A chorus of yelping. Silence. 

“What. The. FUCK.” The largest of the four screamed, the tension in the air breaking instantly. He stood up from the couch in rage, his eyes narrowing at the television. Without warning, he threw the item in his hand, a glass coca-cola bottle, directly at the television set. Thankfully, his aim was off, causing it to smash against the wall, shattering upon impact. The boy sitting next to him on his right, the most timid of the four, squeaked in surprise, his hands going up to his ears to block out the sound after the action. They all grew silent, eyes glued to the television in pure fright.

_‘A Country wide disaster has struck. People are rising from the dead… RISING FROM THE DEAD…’ The man on the television stopped talking, losing all of his composure before continuing the segment with his own flare. ‘Fuck it. The recently deceased are rising from the ground, and killing all those in sight. Stay in doors. Lock yourself in your rooms. Don’t go outside. Defend yourselves. Armageddon has come. Be ready to meet our maker…’ The news reporter was obviously distraught. His eyes glazed over with fear as he suddenly jumped up. Within seconds, the camera that was focused on the man, fell to the ground. The only thing that could be seen was multiple pairs of feet running in the direction of the man previously on the screen. Screaming could be heard before the video cut off, a premade announcement replacing the feed._

Brown, blue and green hues looked at the screen. It wasn’t until the ascending ring of a siren brought them back to reality. The standing boy, fell back down onto the couch, the sudden weight causing the others to jostle against the wave. The tallest of them turned to glare at him before his hand went up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“W-What.. That can’t be happening. No.. They’re just pulling a prank on us, right?! It’s an April fools joke!” The timid one said, his voice dropping low. As if that sparked something within them all, they all in unison, pulled out their respective phones.

“It’s fucking May, Kike.” One said in anger, eyes now glued to his phone.

“Denver news is saying the same thing…” The boy in the parka said, his voice muffled with his clothing, distress dripping in his sentence.

“I don’t fuckin’ believe it…” The largest one said, his pudgy hand coming up to tussle his brown hair. His fingers continued to scroll on the site, brown eyes going wide in alarm. “No…” He pushed his phone out, displaying a video to the other three. On the screen displayed a beach-like setting. It started off peaceful. A woman in a bikini, happily smiling and laughing to the person recording her. As quick as it had started, a blur of a creature came running into the frame from a distance, latching itself onto the woman. The person holding the phone, went running the moment she started screaming. The videographer, still holding the phone, panned out the camera to the beach as they ran. Other blurred creatures appeared in droves onto the beach-goers. “This was posted an hour ago, from California.” He said after he closed the video, dropping the phone onto his lap.

“Shit like this just doesn’t happen. It’s not like we’re in a fucking movie. This shit -DOESN’T- happen.” The tall one screamed. His body rising off the couch in anger. They all looked up to him, before a rapid knocking caused them all to turn towards the door.

“FELLA’S! F E L L A ‘ S!!!” The person behind the door screamed in terror. The one standing, recognizing the voice and ran to the door. He opened it quickly, immediately being pushed back by the force from the person rushing into the house. His hand was still on the door, when a low, guttural screech caught his attention. It was running up the steps, hunger in its face. The light from the doorway illuminated its face. Teeth were bared, bloody and broken. Its skin was torn, yet the boy thought he recognized it. The creature screamed again and in an instant the boy slammed the door in its face, his back pressing against it as the creature used it entire body on the door, attempting to destroy it.

“HELP ME.” He grunted, the door shaking in response to its beating. The biggest one stood up, toppling over the bookshelf by the stairs. Although it was a large piece of oak, the adrenaline rushing through his body caused him to throw it over towards the door with ease. The boy with fierce brown eyes and black hair, the tallest of the group, slide out of the way just in time. His body crashing down onto the floor as he tripped over the person on the ground. They all stared at the door, waiting for the beast to stop its rage. A distant scream caused the pounding to stop and quickly, it ran from the door. All that could be heard was the soft sob coming from the newest members body.

“What… What just happened?” Someone said. No one broke eye contact with the door. The air was tense once more.

“The end of the world, and it’s just beginning…” Responded the boy who had fallen to the ground, his hands going to his face. He released a breath he did not realize he had been holding. He did realize though, that it was going to be a long night.

* * *

“Let me get this straight Butters. You were walking your dog, then that… _thing_ , attacked you?” The tallest, Stanley, had asked. The frail looking blonde shook his head vigorously, terror still in his face.

 “U-Uh-huh… Oh poor muffins… She r-ran off when I was getting attacked…” He responded, a wince leaving his lips as the red-headed boy dabbed a cotton-ball against his scuffed cheek.

 “Forget about your dog right now dude! We have -much- bigger problems!” Stanley yelled. He began to pace around the room. “And you’re positive you didn’t get bit? We know how this shit goes in the movies…” Stan stopped his pacing for a second to examine the boy now on the couch. The blonde rubbed his knuckles together in nervousness.

 “P-Positive Stan… I wasn’t touched. I only g-got this cause I hit my head on a pole…” He softly said, embarrassment in his words. The biggest one laughed loudly, causing Stan to turn and give him a glare.

 “You hit a f-fuckin’ pole?! That’s fuckin’ funny dip-shit!” He said in between laughs, his hand wiping away a fake tear. Stan rolled his eyes at him.

 “Cartman, shut up.” The red-head, Kyle, groaned as he returned his focus on cleaning Butters face.

 “Whatever Cartman, I’d like to see your fatass run away from one of these… things.” Stan’s retort caused the boy, Cartman, to shout in anger.

 “AY. I’M NOT FAT-”

 “You’re big-boned, we know, we don’t care.” The boy, Kenny, whose face was covered earlier, said in annoyance. His face was no longer covered, his gaunt face now exposed, displaying shaggy and unwashed hair. He was too focused on his phone. Suddenly, he stood up. “Fucking shit.” He said plainly. He shoved his phone in Stan’s face. As the boys brown eyes read what was on the screen, his own phone rang. A chorus of ringing phones now erupted in the living room. Stan’s eyes scanned the room. “We’re royally FUCKED dude!” Kenny yelled. Stan felt blackness try to take over his vision. His emotions running high as he relayed the message in his head. A loud sob came from Butters, bringing him out from his mind.

 “What.. What does this mean?” Cartman said, a confused look on his face.

 “Can you not read fatass?! The roads are blocked and they’re turning off the cell towers! We won’t have access to -anyone-!” Kenny, retorted, the color leaving his face although anger was deep in his blue eyes.

 “Okay everyone, take a deep breath.” Stan said calmly, trying to hide the shakiness in his own voice. The boys all looked up to him and Stan studied each and every one of them. “We need to get to the community center. You know how many times we’ve gone there and things were okay? That will be our best bet. We need to get everything we can together. Supplies, lights, batteries, anything for survival.” Stanly exhaled, his hand going to grip his head. “Just… Think of this as a camping trip.”

 “One where we die at the end. Great.” Kenny said sarcastically, his own hands going to cover his eyes. “We need to use our phones while we can. Make a map or something. Download things that might help. Do you have extra battery packs?” Kenny asked, removing his palms to look up to Stan. Stan exhaled, shaking his head no.

 “I do. I only have four, but I can make them last. They are all charged.” Kyle said, speaking up for the first time tonight. Stan smiled at him.

 “That’s a good start. Okay. Kenny, you look up maps, things to eat and not to eat in the wild, shit like that. Save it to your phone and send it to all of us as quick as you can.” Stan said, pointing to Kenny as he did so. Kenny gave him a nod, quickly getting to work. “Kyle.” Kyle perked up, his hand gripping Butters as Stan called to him. He was nervous, and Stan knew. “Kyle, you and Butters can go up to my bathroom. Get EVERYTHING medical related you can. Fuck grab Shelly’s tampons. I don’t care, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you can grab and carry in a bookbag.” Kyle’s jaw clenched, giving Stan a quick nod as he got off the couch and headed upstairs with Butters in tow. “And Cartman, you and me are grabbing all the food we can.” Cartman’s eyes lit up. Stan approached him, poking his finger into his chest. “And if you eat any of it before we can inventory it. You’re fucking dead.” Cartman scoffed, waving off Stan.

 “I ain’t gunna eat shit. Cans are the way to go Ball-boy.” Cartman said in a huff, getting off the couch and heading to the kitchen. Stan quickly made his way to the closet, pulling out a few duffle bags. He emptied the contents on the floor, but found a few things that might be useful. Placing the bag against his back, he made his way into the kitchen. Scenario after scenario played in his mind, all ended poorly. Stan looked over to the clock on the oven, it read 8:07pm. They were only ten minutes away from the community center if they were lucky. And hopefully, luck was on their side.

* * *

**_Earlier that day;_ **

 “Kyle!” Stan yelled to the redhead in the hallways of Parkside High School. Kyle had just closed his locker, books piled in his hands. He gave an awkward wave underneath the pile of books.

 “Hey Stan! What’s up?” Kyle asked, a smile on his face as the jogging boy approached him. His Military style haircut bounced ever so slightly in the motion, causing the smile to grow larger on the meek red-head’s face.

 “Oh, it’s the last game of my high school career. Wanted to see if you wanted to hang out afterwards. Maybe have it like old times again.” Stan asked, leaning against the locker next to Kyle’s, a grin on his face. Kyle felt his face erupt in a light pink blush. He coughed, turning his head.

 “Is it really the last game ever?” He reminisced, the smile staying on his face as he looked up to Stan’s face. He was short for almost being a man. Only standing at 5’9 compared to Stans 6’2. If you put the two of them side by side, you’d be amazed they were best friends. Kyle was frail, small, with very little meat on his bones. Whereas Stan, stood tall, muscular, chiseled jaw, the perfect recipe for a model, or also a Marine. Stan brought Kyle out of his trance as he placed a large, calloused hand down on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

 “So, wanna come over to my place after the game? I have video games, cheesy-poofs and movies!” Stan’s grin was goofy, showing his misaligned teeth. Years of sports weren’t kind to his mouth, but he still always gave the biggest smile. This caused Kyle to blush more, he adjusted the books in his arms before giving him a nod.

 “That sounds great Stan. I need to work on a book report so I can do that while I wait for you.” Stan’s smile turned into a frown.

 “No, no, no.” Stan huffed, causing Kyle’s eyebrow to raise in confusion. Stan’s hand went behind his back, pulling something out from the back pocket of his jeans. He whipped it into the air, presenting it to the redhead, the smile turning into a smirk. “For you!” Kyle’s eyes went wide as he looked at the shirt presented to him. It was a baseball jersey similar to his, just in a smaller size. Stan turned it around, on the back of it it said Marsh with Stan’s retired number, number 2. Kyle blinked a few times. His green eyes watering as he examined the jersey before looking up to Stan.

 “Oh for the love of Abraham, Stan…” Kyle said exasperated, the grin on Stans face growing. “Sure, I’ll go. And I’ll wear that shirt.” Stan released his right hand from the shirt, it going up to the air in a motion of celebration.

 “Sweet! I’ll see you at the game!” He said quickly, placing the shirt on the top of the pile of books in Kyle’s arms. He leaned down, patting the boys head before jogging off, back in the direction of the locker room. Kyle shook his head, laughing loudly as he made his way out of the building and towards his house.

* * *

 Kyle had made it home with a good hour left before he had to make it back over towards the school. He laid in his bed, the shirt held high above his head. Thankful no one was around, the boy balled it up in his fists, bringing it down to his face and inhaling deeply. _‘It smells like him… How long did he have this?’_ Kyle thought to himself, the idea of Stan sleeping with it brought an amused laugh out of his lips. He sat up, heading over towards his mirror. His slender fingers touched his face, trailing his jawline before moving up to his hair. He touched his poofy red hair. The curls extra bouncy today. At the top of the mirror was a green ushanka, a memory from childhood. He got rid of it when they entered high school, but he liked holding onto it for the memories. Kyle exhaled, ripping off his shirt and staring at what he saw. Bones, and more bones. No matter how much he tried to eat, he never seemed to gain any weight. Kyle shrugged, bending over to his closet to get a new shirt. He settled with a black one to go under the white and red jersey. Since he was going to stay at Stan’s for the night, he decided to start packing his bag. Piling it full with extra underwear, some battery packs, charger cords, and a few books, he was satisfied with his collection.  Looking at his phone he laughed, receiving a few photos from Stan and one from Kenny. His eyes went wide when he opened up the last one from Stan.

 ' _cant wait til tnite’_ Was the caption for the shirtless photo that entered his vision. It only lasted for three seconds, but it was etched into Kyles mind. Abdominal muscles that went on for days, a flexed arm, and a stupid grin. Kyle felt the breath leave his lips as he held his hand against his chest. He exhaled, a shaky grin entering his own face. Kyle went over to the mirror, standing away from it. He smiled brightly, bringing the phone up to his face. He clicked the button, quickly typing in the caption section. _‘Me too~’_  The photo had the back of the jersey in it, although backwards, it was visible. Kyle clicked send and scrolled through a few more photos. Kenny’s was him poking a dead squirrel with a stick, causing Kyle to roll his eyes. Zoning in to his phone, he jumped, the phone almost falling from his hands as he received a phone call. He picked it up, unsure of who was calling him.

 “Hello?” He said, trying to calm himself down.

 “KYLE.” The voice on the other end shrieked, causing Kyle to bring the phone away from his face, his brow furling in confusion.

 “Tweek, what’s up?” He questioned, bending down to pick up his bag and sling it against his back.

 "GAH. S-Something is happening!” Tweek shrieked again, this time louder than before. The confusion still on his face, he began to make his way downstairs.

 “What the hell are you talking about Tweek?” Kyle said as he descended down the stairs, when he made it to the last one he stopped in his tracks.

 “D-Dude, listen to me. I-I’m not crazy! But s-something is happening overseas.” Tweek stated, quickly continuing on. “People are d-dying! And then coming back to life! AH! The n-news isn’t saying s-s-shit! But I-I’ve been watching videos! I-It’s true. I-I’ll link you one.” The moment he did, Kyle’s phone pinged in his ear. Kyle rolled his eyes, but looked at the message. It was a short ten second clip of a blurry monster-like creature shambling towards the videographer. Russian could be heard spoken before the camera shook, the creature running towards the person. Teeth bared and bloody. Kyle felt the color leave his face as he watched the video. “Kyle… KYLE.” Tweek screamed as Kyle held the phone away from him. He brought the phone up to his ear, his hand shaking the entire time.

 “T-This is from a movie Tweek. We’ll be fine.” Kyle said, trying to reassure Tweek and himself. Tweek squeaked in terror.

 “I-I don’t think so… I-I need to get to Craigs… B-Bye Kyle!” Tweak hung up, leaving Kyle confused and concerned.

“It’s fake. It’s not real.” He said that line about ten times before he got off that bottom step. As he made his was towards the front door, he stopped in his tracks. Turning to his bookshelf. He examined it for a moment before standing on his tiptoes to grab a book off the top shelf. It looked like a standard book, but when he opened it up, a 9mm pistol stared back at him instead of words. Kyle hesitated for a moment before grabbing the gun. To the book next to it was another hollowed out book. In this one, was two full magazines. He dropped his bag before putting the items in a hidden compartment. “Better safe than sorry…” He said softly, quickly grabbing the bag and heading out the door. He turned around, eyeing the house he’s known for all seventeen years of his life. The moment he turned away, he felt something invisible breaking inside of him. He hoped to Abraham that Tweek was wrong.

* * *

**_Later that night;_ **

It was finally time. After all these years, he was going to confess. They were super best friends, but deep down, Stan knew he had more than just platonic feelings for him. He had a few more weeks until he was shipped off to basic. To some backwater town not too different from South Park. He knew it wasn’t ideal, but he figured it would be best to let those feelings out in the open before he left for a few months. They both were going their separate ways. He remembered when he told Kyle he had signed the papers. He had an early birthday, and technically he couldn’t leave school until he graduated. But Kyle was still pissed. He tried to hide it, but Stan always saw through those emerald eyes. He was accepted into John Hopkins all the way in Maryland. He wanted to go into the medical field, which was perfect for him. He was always the one tending to Stan’s wounds, even Kenny’s on occasion. Stan rubbed his hands together, pounding knuckles into his fist every now and again. When Kyle responded to the photo with one of his own, Stan felt his ears get hot. He gave a happy, yet awkward smile. That boy always managed to make him feel like a child. Giddy and happy. Although in High School their group split up, they still remained close. They were next door neighbors after all, so it wasn’t like he was going to ignore him. Kyle started hanging out with Tweek and Butters more, Wendy occasionally the smart ones, which in elementary school no one thought Tweek and Butters were smart. Every now and again they would have lunch together. But whenever they had free time they would hang out. From playing video games, to just laying on the floor. They always would make time for each other. And tonight, was the night.

 Stan made it to the dugout after he stretched with his team. They were first up to bat. The chime for the time rang out, signaling that it was 6pm and time to start the game. Stan was the star hitter and the star pitcher. There wasn’t anything he wasn’t good at. He took pride in his abilities to play sports. He was tough, agile, and strong. Book smarts, they came and went. But he was a leader through and through. Stan shook his head as he put his red batting helmet on. He grabbed his bat, it was beaten, and bruised, but he never parted without ‘Reds’. His little secret, and the reason why he always hit so well, was what he etched underneath the grip. Stan flipped the bat in his hand as he exited the dugout. He grinned, his brown orbs scanning the area, locking onto a beautiful redhead sitting in the stands. Stan gave him a wave, and received one in return. As he did this, he approached the batter’s box. “For you!” He said, pointing to the crowd. Like any sporty teenager, he had a posse of much younger fans, all screaming freshmen. He pointed in their direction, but really, the point was for Kyle, who sat just above them. He saw the redhead put his hands to his mouth, and that was all he needed. Adjusting his hips, he wiggled, waiting for the pitch. The first one thrown, was the first home run of the night. Stan grinned, dropping the bat and making his way across the plates. As he hit the last one, he did a little shimmy before twirling off the home plate. He knew Kyle was rolling his eyes, but he was loving every second of it. The next few innings went by smoothly. Parkside was in the lead, 3-2 before the night took an interesting turn.

 Stan was up to bat again. It was the top of the 4th inning. He kicked the bat against his cleats and rolled his shoulders. As he made his way over to the box, he took his typical position before a scream caught him off guard. He turned his head to the other school’s stands. At the edge of the stands was a man slumped over, the woman next to him began to pat at him, frantically screaming for help. People rushed over to help, the umpire being one of them. Stan couldn’t see what was happening, his eyes squinting in confusion as he tried to get a better view. The sun was setting right behind the stands, with the sun in his eyes he closed them for a moment. Another scream from the same area. This time it was the umpire, he moved back, his hand covering his forearm. Stan could see that blood was dripping down from his arm as the umpire’s hands and fingers were covered in blood. The ambulance arrived, carting off the original man and the umpire.  
  
“Game’s Cancelled!” Shouted Stan’s coach, causing Stan to groan in annoyance. He packed up his things and went over to Kyle, finding him patiently waiting at the edge of the field with his arms placed in front of him. Kyle’s face was pale, paler than normal.

 “Sorry about that Ky. Wasn’t expecting the game to get cancelled like that.” Stan said, a pout on his lips. Kyle, although still pale, managed to blush as Stan pouted. He waved a hand dismissively.

 “It’s okay, that just means I get to spend more time with you.” Kyle said, a bright smile on his face, quickly getting replaced with an embarrassed expression. Stan laughed, shaking his head at the boy. He had his batting bag against his back and wrapped his arm around Kyle, the bag hitting the boy, bringing him closer to Stan. The blush grew in size, but he said nothing.

 “C’mon Kyle, let’s head to my place. I’ll drive ya.” Kyle gave a nod to Stan, yet his head tilted in confusion when he saw Kenny and Cartman standing by Stan’s car, smoking a cigarette each.

 “What the fuck are you two doing here?” Stan said to them, annoyance in his voice. Kenny took a drag from his cigarette.

 “Heading to your place. I overheard you talking to Kyle about hanging out. And was so hurt you didn’t invite your two old best friends too.” Kenny said, the smoke leaving his mouth as he spoke. His hand went to his chest, acting as if he was wounded. Stan rolled his eyes, dropping his arm from Kyle’s shoulders. He couldn’t tell, but a twinge of sadness entered Kyle’s eyes. Stan crossed his arms across his chest.

 “Fine, get in you two. And Cartman, don’t fart in my car. Last time you did that, I couldn’t breath for a month.” Cartman yelled, but Stan waved a hand, ignoring his shouts. Kyle took shotgun, with Kenny and Cartman in the back. Stan looked over to Kyle when he entered the car. “Ky? Is everything alright?” The moment Stan asked that, something slammed on the roof of his car. Everyone froze, a blur rushed by them.

 “Stan. Get home. Now.” Kyle said in a stern and dark voice. Stan hadn’t heard that voice in a long time, and when when he did, he know Kyle was being serious. Stan started the car and drove to his house. The four of them drove in silence the entire ride. The moment they pulled into the driveway, the radio stopped playing music but instead started playing an alert. Calling for a state of emergency. It was like a blizzard or Avalanche emergency only this one.. Was different. 

* * *

**_Present time;_ **

The boys all reconvened in Stan’s living room about thirty minutes after their tasks were given. Each one of them looked scared, nervous and unsure of their actions. Stan had his bat bag against his back, his body was weighed down with the cans and food against him. Kenny had his hand against Butters shoulders, bringing the smaller boy to his body. Butters squeaked, looking up to the boy, love and confusion in his blue eyes. Kenny didn’t look down, but squeezed his hand against his shoulder.

 “I’m not going to sugar coat this.” Stan started to say, his hands gripping each other as he spoke. “We don’t know what the fuck is truly going on out there. All we know, is that the dead is coming back and trying to eat us. We aren’t going to let that happen. We aren’t going to get bitten. We are going to survive.” Stan said with a shaky breath, his hands going white from how tight his grip was. He looked between everyone, a sudden ring coming from Kyle’s pocket startled him. Kyle flushed, yet a confused expression plastered on his face. He picked up the phone quickly, surprised they still had signal.

 “Tweak?” He asked, his hand going to hold his ear. “Tweak I can’t… I can’t hear you…” He said, fear encompassing his entire body. “No…” Was all he could say. Butter’s, being next to Kyle sobbed, his own hands going to grip his mouth.

 “We can’t go to the community center…” Kyle whispered, choking back tears.

 “And why the fuck not?” Cartman hissed, glaring down to the boy.

 “The townspeople set it on fire…” Kyle said. The moment the words left his lips, he ran over to the windows and gasped loudly. The other followed suit, all with similar reactions.

 “Fuck… Now what?”


	2. Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit just hit the fan, and it was only just the start of their adventure.

The view the boys had was both terrifying, and beautiful. In the distance, a roaring fire was cascading across the horizon. If they weren’t about to fight for their lives, they would have thought it was an amazing sight. A loud bang brought the boys from their own minds, a building next to the community center rising in smoke and exploding. Butters whimpered, his blue eyes going large as he watched the scene unfold. Kenny reached down, bringing the small boy closer to his body. He grew silent, but still stared out the window. 

“Fuck. Why the fuck are they so dumb?” Cartman said in anger, his fist pounding against the wall of the room. Kenny shrugged and Stan sighed.

“You know how those assholes are. They get scared. It was probably Garrison or something.” Stan absentmindedly said, his hands going up to his head to rub at the bridge of his nose. With a shaky sigh, he turned around and began to pace the room. Kyle dragged his eyes from the window, bringing his emerald gaze over to the pacing boy. His bottom lip pulled into his mouth as he watched him intently. Another explosion, another yelp.

“G-Guys…” Butters said, a hand coming up to point out the window. In the distance, was a sight none of them could believe. A large group of those…  _ things _ , were walking towards the house. Some of them were on fire, other were missing limbs and other parts of their body. The only thing that wasn’t missing, was the hunger in their eyes.

The sun was setting over the scene in front of them. Explosions rang off in the background, the fire roaring to life. A group, ten or more, began stalking their way over to the location of the boys.

“This is badass. It’s like we’re living in an action movie.” Cartman said, a loud laugh leaving his lips. Kenny’s hand went out fast, slapping him against the face. Cartman winced in pain, his hand coming up to cover his cheek. “HEY. THE FUCK?” He screamed, Kenny and the others ignored him, slowly moving away from the windows. The group had approached faster than they originally thought. The few in front beginning to hit against the outside of the house. One managed to hit the window it breaking instantly, glass falling to the carpet with a dull thud. With the window now opened, they all could hear the noises they made. Deep moans, sickly wheezes, and crunching bones.

Stan looked over from his pacing, his eyes narrowing as he looked outside. His eyes went large. He had to think quickly.

“Shit, shit…” He stammered, looking around the room. It was still barred from earlier. But the windows weren’t, obviously. Things weren’t looking good and they had to move fast. Stans eyes moved around the room, locating each possible item that could be used for a weapon. “Get a weapon. NOW.” He yelled, the anger rumbling from deep within his gut. The boys nodded, running around the room as if they were chickens with their heads chopped off. Stan pulled his bat from behind his back as he took his spot in front of the door. He waited for the boys to all reappear before speaking again.

He looked over all of their weapons and felt a smile tug on the corner of his lips, the absurdness of some of the things they grabbed making him want to laugh. Butters had picked a mop, holding it away from his body as if it was about to bite him. Kenny was rather smart, grabbing two knives, holding it in a defensive position, his body swaying as he did so. Cartman grabbed a large lamp, ripping it from the wall and resting it against his shoulder. Kyle had a frying pan, and Stan still had his baseball bat. “Well.. This works… I guess…” He exhaled, taking a step towards the door. He turned around from the door, looking at the group.

“Gentlemen, and Cartman.” He started, getting a scoff from Cartman. The boys all gave a smile, one that was filled with fear. Stan continued, his voice catching in his throat. “I don’t know what to say other than… Whatever happens, I’m glad to have called you guys my best friends.” Stan finished the sentence softly, sadness in his voice. His head fell to his chest, a silent tear rolling down his cheek. Butters sobbed, his hands clenching tighter against the mop and bringing it to his chest. Cartman rolled his eyes, but made no comment, his eyes locking on the undead trying to enter the room. Kenny’s eyes were straight forward, his lip coming into his mouth as he concentrated. Kyle, with white knuckles, brought the frying pan up. He looked to Stan, his own eyes wet and glossy from tears welling up behind his eyes. With his jaw clenched, Stan spun around, returning to the task at hand.

Stan took a deep breath, as he turned around. He jumped when one of the things fell into the room. In an instant, he brought his hands up, swinging the bat down hard on the dead. Its head exploded in a bloody mess. His white jersey was covered from dirt marks from earlier in the day, but now it was also covered in blood. Someone he might have known before, but he didn’t have time to think about it. He had to get them out. “Backdoor, GO!” He yelled, throwing his hand out behind him. He turned his attention back to his mission, protecting everyone. Another thing screamed, blood, bile and spit spewing from its mouth as it lunged through the window, stumbling over the dead one, ignoring its presence as its target was Stan. Stan swung the bat in his hand. As if time slowed down, he readied himself. His body tensed as he focused on the action as if it was a ball game. He wiggled his leg, his arms extending backwards before his arms swung around in front of him. The bat collided with the snarling beast. The moment it made contact with its skull, a loud, sickening crack echoed throughout the room. The beast yelled, then grew silent as it fell backwards, hitting the fallen bookshelf and stopped moving. Black blood began to pool around it. Stan watched it fall, but focused on Cartman. He was going crazy, stabbing, slashing and thrashing against the two creatures that had managed to break through the other window. Stan ran over to him, using the end of the bat to try to lodge one off of him. Muttering nothing other than grunts of frustration, Cartman used this chance to use his broken and sharp lamp, pushing it with all his force into the eye socket of an undead female. Blood spewed over the both of them as Stan now struggled with the last one. Cartman grabbed a chair nearby, switching places with Stan as he pushed the beast back, using the chair as a shield, allowing Stan another swing. Once that one was dealt with, The two boys scrambled, heading out into the kitchen where the other three were having troubles of their own.


	3. Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world they had grown up in, changed in less than an hour. They didn't know what to do, but they had bigger problems.

Kenny was terrified. He didn’t care about himself, but he cared about _him_ . He had to protect him no matter what. Right now, he would much rather deal with Cartman and his constant annoyance than these _gross fucks._ Fuck, he’d even rather deal with his drunken asshole of a father than this shit. When he heard the news next to his best friends, he could only think about that little blonde. _What was he feeling?_ Those blue eyes held every emotion possible and Kenny could read through him as easily as he could read through a playboy. _Where was he?_ The thought of the Zed’s ripping through his perfect, porcelain skin before he ever had a taste, pissed him off. When the knocks came at the door, he was lazily looking through his phone, trying to ignore everything and the questions he wanted to know about the blonde boy who help his heart in a vice grip. But that voice, it was unmistakable. It was high pitch, breathy, yet with a stutter. It made him melt. His own grey hues locked onto the boy as he came flying through the door. He had told him earlier in the night that he was hanging out at Stan’s, and if he wanted he could stop by. Stan knew how he felt about Butters. He wanted to help Kenny out the best he could, so anytime Kenny was over, he would let Butters hang out too.

Now was not the time to be thankful, they hadn’t even made it out of Stan's house yet. They didn’t know what was going on, other than the town was in flames, and the dead was trying to kill them. _‘Great, just what I wanted. To get a hard on thinking about protecting Leo.’_ Kenny thought to himself, his hand on the boys shoulder as he lead him in the direction Stan yelled. He went first, with one hand pushed out, the knife backwards in his grip, pointing towards the side of his body. He rushed forward, Kyle behind him and Butters. The had just entered the kitchen when their escape was blocked off. A large, and seemly unharmed creature burst through the door. Startling at the three of them. He appeared to have just been turned, his skin was a sickly pale, the veins deep purple as they pulsed against his flesh. His mouth was covered in bright red blood, as was his neck; with a large chunk of flesh missing. He snarled, his glassy white eyes moving between the three before he lunged towards them, Butters specifically.

In one swift motion, Kenny’s arm went over to grab the mop from Butters hand, using the end of it to push into the biting beasts face. It stunned him for only a moment. But long enough for Kenny to adjust the knife stabbing it deep within the man’s neck. It didn’t bring the thing down, only made him angrier, now turning to his attention to Kenny, grabbing the mop and breaking it in two with ease. Kenny, now knifeless, stumbled back. Kyle stood in the back, his hands trembling as he held onto the frying-pan tightly. With Kenny struggling against the aggressive weight from the monster, Kyle took his chance. He ran up behind the two, the table and chairs knocked over in the struggle. His hands brought down the pan upon the head of the monster. Although it made a sickening crack, the creature stopped his struggle, slowly turning to Kyle. Blood spewed from his mouth and onto the boy, his mouth opening wide as he lunged for the red head. Kyle screamed loudly, his much smaller frame ducking and sliding against the tile kitchen floor. The monster ran head first into the drywall of the room. Luckily for Kyle and the rest of the group, he had lodged the knife in his neck deeper, severing his spinal cord as he went through the wall.

The only sound in the room was the three of them panting heavily, staring at the creature in the wall, watching its body twitch as it went lifeless. Stan and Cartman ran into the room, surveying the scene with wide eyes. Stan, covered in more blood than before bending down to grab Kyle, pulling him up to his chest and spinning around, away from the beast. A loud sob could be heard, following the clanging of the pan hitting the floor. Kyle dropped it in order to wrap his arms around Stans torso.

“We have to go.” Stan said, his voice muffled by the red heads hair. Kenny was still trying to catch his breath, bent over with his hands on his knees. Butters was trembling, blue eyes bugged out as he continued to stare at the man in the wall. Cartman was surprisingly silent as he leaned lazily against the wall, keeping an eye out on the front room. Kyle was still sobbing, the only sound they could hear clearly. In the distance, another explosion, the growing groans of hunger slowly piercing their ears.

“W-W-Where too then Stan?” Butters said, breaking the tension in the room. Stan looked between the four, his brow knitting together in both thought and confusion.

“We find others. Tweek, Craig, Clyde, Token, the girls. Fuck.. I wonder how Jimmy and Timmy are…” Stan said, his voice trailing off as he thought about the fate of the others.

“That’s dumb as fuck Stan. They’re probably dead. All of them. We shouldn’t use our strength to find those assholes. We should look for shelter and try to make our way out of the city.” Cartman spat, not turning around from his post to address the group.

“We need to find Tweek! He’s the one that warned us about the community center!” Kyle sobbed, his voice breaking from his tears. Cartman scoffed.

“Yeah, and how do you think we’ll do that kike?” Cartman hissed as he finally turned around, anger in his eyes.

“I-I…” Kyle fell silent, his head going back into Stans chest. With a loving and reassuring pat, Stan rubbed his back. He was thinking still, and at the mention of the others and idea popped into his head.

“The school.” Stan said plainly, which caused a laugh to escape from Cartman.

“The fucking high school?” Cartman asked, still laughing softly as he did so.

“No fatass. Remember when we were in fifth grade?” Stan said, a confused expression on Cartman’s face. Stan continued. “In fifth grade, we all made a plan against the zombies. We -knew- the town would be stupid and do something to community center. We always said that if something like this happened, we’d make our fortress there. We’ve done it before, we can do it again.” Stan finished, looking at the others with a look of desperation in his eyes. It was a few minutes before someone spoke up. But to Stan, it felt like a lifetime.

“You’re right… Fucking shit you’re right!” Kenny said, standing up with a look of joy on his face. “Remember how we planned it all out and told everyone in our grade it? They thought we were stupid. Do you think they’d remember?” He questioned, walking closer to Stan. Stan gave a nod.

“I think so. I was talking to Craig in the locker room about it last week actually....” Stan gave an awkward chuckle. “He said Tweek had been freaking out epidemics and was studying them for some reason…” Stans laughter died as he fully realized in that moment, that they were in an epidemic. Right smack dab in the middle of it.

“Well ball-boy, looks like you’re onto something.” Cartman said, a hint of respect in his voice. Stan felt a smile creep on his lips before a chime ringed out from all of them.

“The fuck?” Kenny said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “We aren’t supposed to have signal...” His voice trailed off as he read the message. The other four did the same, the same confused expression crossing their faces.

**_‘guys. idk if u will get this. but we r headin to the elm. school. Tweek n i were headin twards the cc when it exploded. Climb up thru the fire escape, meet us on the roof.’_ **


End file.
